Gunmen Kill 9 in Central Syria

They say the violence took place on Wednesday, but details are unclear.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government says an agreement on a plan that could end months of deadly unrest is set to be announced Wednesday at an Arab League meeting in Cairo.

A state news report says Syrian authorities and an Arab League ministerial committee have come to terms on a “final document.” However, the SANA news agency did not provide details of the agreement.

Earlier this week, Arab League diplomats announced a proposal that calls for the Syrian government to withdraw security forces from the streets, stop violence by pro-government forces against civilians and begin talks with the Syrian opposition in Cairo.

On Friday, the 22-member league sharpened its criticism of Syria after rights activists said Syrian security forces had shot and killed dozens of anti-government protesters as part of a widening crackdown on dissent.

The United Nations says the number of people killed in the seven-month-old uprising has surpassed 3,000. The Syrian government says terrorists have killed hundreds of security personnel during that period.